In Separate Votes, Security Council Fails to Adopt Two Draft Resolutions Renewing Cross-Border Mechanism for Humanitarian Aid Delivery into Syria

The Security Council failed on 7 and 8 July to adopt draft resolutions that would have renewed its authorization for the cross-border mechanism that enables the United Nations and its implementing partners to deliver humanitarian aid into Syria via the country’s border with Turkey.

During a 7 July videoconference meeting*, the Council announced that a draft resolution (document S/2020/654), presented by Belgium and Germany, which would have enabled humanitarian assistance to continue to pass through the Bab al-Salam and Bab al-Hawa border crossing until 10 July 2021, was not adopted owing the negative vote of two permanent Council members.

The result was 13 votes in favour to 2 against (China, Russian Federation), with no abstentions.

Then, during an 8 July videoconference meeting, it announced that a second draft (document S/2020/658), submitted by the Russian Federation, was not adopted due to its failure to obtain the required number of votes.  That text would have enabled aid to pass through Bab al-Hawa until 10 January 2021.

The vote was 4 in favour (China, Russian Federation, South Africa, Viet Nam) to 7 against (Belgium, Dominican Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, United Kingdom, United States), with 4 abstentions (Indonesia, Niger, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Tunisia).

[Security Council resolutions are currently adopted through a written procedure vote under temporary, extraordinary and provisional measures implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as set out in a letter (document S/2020/253) by its President for March (China).]

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* Based on information received from the Security Council Affairs Division.